SOLO ELITE THE GREAT AWAKENING

Grandpa needed me, and I knew exactly what I had to do now. I must first find Adam and then our way to Kenosh. Grandpa would be there waiting for me.

I ran as fast as I could back to the house and grabbed Grandpa’s bike that was leaning against the house. It was made in the ’70s and had a banana seat with a flat back tire, but there was plenty of rim and little time to waste. I hopped the curb and pedaled my way downtown. I know I must have looked ridiculous on that bike, and my legs were on fire, but I couldn’t stop. Grandpa needed me. I headed down Fourth Street through a construction zone, and, at last, there was Primrose Drive. I rounded the corner and drove through the flowers straight to the front door to the research center.

”Excuse me, miss. Can you tell me what room Adam Garza is in?” I asked the receptionist.

“Hmm, let’s see. Adam Garza … He is in room 1985. That’s down the hall to the right.”

As I passed various doctors and nurses’ stations, time seemed to stop as I counted the room numbers on the wall.

“OK, 1981, 1983, 1985.”

I slowly turned the corner and hesitated to enter the room. I stopped by the doorway. A woman was in there, packing up belongings, folding pants, stuffing them in a hospital bag.

“Hi, sweetie. Are you looking for someone?”

I cleared my throat and nervously replied, “Yes, Adam Garza.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. You just missed him. He wanted to ride home with his brother. They left to head back to Dallas.”

I took a step into the room. “You’re his mother?”

“I have been now for a few years, but, yes, I am his mother.” She grinned. “I don’t believe he has ever told me of any girl in his life.”

Taking another step, I spoke up and said, “I am Robin.”

“Robin? You know, Adam used to always talk about a girl named Robin, Of course that was around the time when he was getting better,” she said, and then paused. “Well, it was nice to meet you, sweetie. Adam is supposed to call me when he gets home. I’ll tell him you came to visit.”

“OK, thank you, ma’am.”

With my head down, I walked out into the hallway and muttered to myself, “Well, great. What do I do now?” My legs were way too tired to pedal my way back home, and frankly I was too depressed to even try anyway. I asked to use the phone at the nurses’ station to call home to ask Mama to pick me up. I shuffled to the lobby and slumped down in a chair and waited for Mama to arrive. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone was staring at me, so I turned myself away and pretended to watch TV. He then got up and sat in the chair next to me.

“I figured you might want this back,” he said.

I looked down, and he was holding my diary. I turned back around and glimpsed at his face and nervously avoided eye contact.” You’re the one from school, aren’t you?” I asked.

”That’s too funny. You really don’t remember, do you?” he asked.

“I don’t know you’re from my school?” I asked.

The boy chuckled and said, “Here, maybe this will help,” while pulling back his hair and covering it with his hands.

“Adam?”

I couldn’t believe it. I had found Adam, and he had been right in front of me the entire time. Sitting here, I had this revelation, that as long as I was alive and there were diseases in this world, there will always be a need for me in another realm. I knew Teddy would be there waiting for me, but I guess now the only question was: how on earth do we get back to Kenosh?